Clock



July 8, 1941. L, p s 2,248,195

CLOCK Filed April 30, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 21mm lee/id rffrf/is,

July 3, 1941. L PRINS' 2.248.195

CLOCK Filed April 30, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L. PRINS July 8, 1941.

CLOCK Filed April 30, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mun lee/2d??? -Pr/ns Sn. :4, I

Patented July 8, 1941 CLOCK Leendeit PlillS, Flushing, N. .Y.

Application April 30, 1937, Serial No. 140,040

1 Claim (Cl. 58-125) A more specific object of the present invention is to provide what may be termed a magic. clock, the purpose being to create-the appearance that the hands of the clock, in moving about the dial, float quite freely.

In carrying out the above specific object of the present invention, I provide an opaque casing member provided with opposed front and rear openings; transparent members closingthe said openings, the transparent member closing the rear opening being provided with a circular series of hour-designating numerals and constituting the dial, circular members respectively having the hour-hand and the minute-hand applied thereto and movable therewith, means located within the casing member and supporting said circular members for rotation within the casing and with their faces between the said openings and transparent members, and means located within the casing operating to rotate said circular members at difierent speeds so that the hourhand is caused to traverse the dial once every twelve hours and so that the minute-hand is caused to traverse the dial once every hour, the said casing member masking from, view through the front opening and transparent member the means for supporting the circular members, the rotating means and the edges of the circular members, the major central portions of said circular members viewable through the front opening and transparent member also being transparent, and said circular members and the hands carried thereby being devoid of visible support so that the hands appear to float quite freely.

More particularly, an object of the present invention is to provide a clock of the above kind which is extremely simple in construction and so constituted as to efiectively carry out the statcd purposes of the invention.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a -clock of the above kind in which the means for rotatably driving. the hands provides for ready manual rotation of said hands for setting the clock.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, whereinlike reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of a clock constructed in accordance with the present invention,

' Figure 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the circular member forming part of the clock shown in Figures 1 and 2 which carries the hour-hand.-

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of the circular member which carries the minute-hand.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a modified form of the circular member which carries the hour-hand.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 of a modified form of circular member which carries the minute-hand.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing part of the means for rotatably driving the circular hand carrying members, and illustrating the means for manually rotating the hand carrying members for setting the clock.

Figure 8 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 1, of a modified form of the present invention; and Figure 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Figure 8. Referring in detail to the drawings, the clock shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive includes an opaque casing member 5 provided with opposed frontand rear openings 6 and I closed by transparent members 8 and 9. The transparent member 9 closing the rear opening 1 is provided with a circular series of hour designating numerals l0 and constitutes the dial of the clock.

Circular transparent members H and I2, respectively having the hour-hand l3 and the minute-hand ll applied thereto and movable therewith, are located within the casing member 5 and supported for rotation within the latter by means of grooved wheels l5 rotatably mounted in the casing member 5 at the top and sides of the lat ter, and driving gears l5 and H mounted in a hollow base I8 upon which the casing member 5 is mounted, the edges of the circular members H and I2 engaging in the grooves of the rollers l5 so as to be guided by the latter. The circular members II and I2 rest upon the gears l6 and I1 and are formed with peripheral teeth Ha and I20, respectively meshing with the teeth of the gears l6 and IT. The circular hand carrying members H and H are located with their faces between the openings 6 and I and the transparent members 8 and 9, and means is located in the base [8 of the casing, including the gears ii and II, to rotatably drive the circular members I and I2 at different speeds so that the hourhand l3 carried by the member I is caused to 25 between traverse the dial once every twelve hours, and so that the minute-hand |4 carried by the circular member I2 is caused to traverse the dial once every hour. This driving means may consist of a suitable motor preferably electric. connected by a train of gearing 2|! with a driven gear 2| carried by a shaft 22 journaled in the upper portion of a frame 28 arranged within the base member l8 of the casing and supporting the train of gears 20. Rotatably supported on the shaft 22 is a gear 24 meshing with the gear which drives the circular member carrying the hour-hand IS, a driving connection being provided between gears 2| and 24 consisting of a friction clutch 25. Rotatably mounted on the shaft 22 is a tubular shaft 28 carrying a large gear 21 which meshes with a small gear 28 rigid with the gear it. The tubular shaft 26 is also formed with teeth at 28a to provide a small gear meshing with a large gear 29 rigid with the gear H, the gears l6 and 28 and I1 and 29 being loosely mounted on a supporting shaft 3|! mounted at the top of frame 23 where the upper casing member 8 and base member l8 Join. The gearing between motor I8 and circular member H is such as to drive the latter at such a speed that the hour-hand II will traverse the dial once every twelve hours. It will also be seen that the circular member i2 is driven by way of gear 2|, gear 24, gear l8, gear 28, gear 21, gear 28a, gear 29, and gear I i, so that the minute-hand I4 traverses the dial once every hour. In other words, the circular member I2 is driven so that it rotates twelve times to each complete revolution of member The base l8 may be provided at the back with within which is disposed a knob 22 secured on the rear projecting end of tubular shaft 26. By turning the knob 32, the. circular members II and I2 may be rapidly rotated for setting the clock. In performing this operation, the gear 21 will drive the gear I through gear 28 while gear 280 will drive the gear I! through gear 29, the gear 24 being rotated on shaft 22 freely relative to gear 2|. This turning of gear 24 relative to gear 2|, with the latter gear remaining still, is allowed by means ofthe friction clutch the gears 24 and 2| As the knob 82 is located at the rear of base 8 and preferably arranged within the well 3I, it is not visible to any one observing the clock from the front. Even in the ordinary operation of the clock, the knob 32 will turn so slowly that its rotation may not be readily discerned.

It will be noted that the casing member 5 masks from view through the front opening 8 and transparent member 8 the means l5, l8 and I! for supporting the circular members II and I2, the means for rotatably driving the members II and I2 including the gears 18 and I1, and the edges of the 'circular'members II and 2. As the major central portions of the circular members H and I2 which are -viewable through the front opening 8 and transparent member 8 are also transparent, the hands I! and H are devoid of visible support so that they appear to float quite freely. The circular hand carrying members, as shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, preferably consist of glass plates havingthe hands It and I4 etched, painted, or secured thereto in any suitable manner. However, as shown in Figures 5' and 6, these circular hand an inward offset or well 2| carrying members may consist of annular'members or rings H and I2 provided with peripheral gear teeth Ill; and I2b. and having the outer terminals of the hands Ila and Ma connected thereto as at 88 and 34, respectively. In either and said circular members and the hands are apparently devoid of visible support so that the hands appear to float quite freely when the'clock is in operation. The construction is extremely simple because there is no transparent plate fitted in the casing between the transparent members 8 and 8 to form the dial, and there is no shaftlike member pivotally mounting the inner terminals of the hands.

The embodiment of Figures 8 and 9 includes an opaque casing member 5a closed at the back and havinga front opening 8a closed by a transparent member 8a.

Supported in the casing member 5a intermediate the back of the latter and the transparent member 8a is an opaque plate 25 having a central bearing 26 in which is journaled a tubular shaft 31. Secured on tubular shaft 81 in front of plate 35 is a circular member or disk ||c carrying the minute-hand I3 and supported for rotation by means of grooved peripheral guiding wheels |5a and a driving gear 24a which meshes directly with peripheral teeth ii of said circular member He. The disk He may be transparent and the plate' 38 provided with a series of hour-designating numerals ifla to constitute the dial, or the disk He may be opaque and the transparent member 8a provided with the numerals to constitute the dial. Freely Journaled in the tubular shaft 81 is a further shaft 88 having an hour-hand |4' secured on the forward end thereof. Secured on the rear end of shaft 31 is a pinion 89 meshing with a large gear 40 journaled on a shaft 4| carried by plate below shafts 81 and 38. Rigid with gear 40 is a pinion 42 meshing with a large gear 42 secured on the rear end of shaft 38. The disk He is driven at the proper speed so that the minute-hand i3 is caused to traverse the dial once every hour, and rotation is transmitted from disk No to shaft 38 so that the hour-hand I4 is caused to traverse the dial once every twelve hours. The driving means may be substantially like that in Figures 1, 2 and 7 and including a driven gear 2| 1: connected with a motor through a train of gears 28a and carried by shaft 22a. The gear 24a is carried by a tubular shaft 26a rotatably mounted on shaft 22a, and is operatively connected with gear 2|a by a friction clutch 25a. The casing has a base I80. provided at the back with a well 3|a within which is disposed a knob 82a secured on the rear end of tubular shaft 26a. By turning knob 82a, the disk He and hand l4 may be rotated for setting the clock, the gear 2| 11 remaining stationary and the gear 240 turning relative to gear 2 la as allowed by clutch 28a.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. It will be seen that the clock is extremely simple and compact and is admirably suited to carry out the stated purposes of the invention.

What I claim as new is:

In a clock of the character described, a hollow base having a top opening, a circular Opaque casat the top and sides of the latter and receiving the edges of said rotatabie circuiarmembers, and means located in said base for driving said rotatable circular members, said driving means including a horizontai shaft mounted within the upper portion or said base and driven spur gears mounted on said horizontal shaft and exposed through the top opening of said base to support said rotatable eircuiar members and mesh with m the peripheral teeth of the latter.

LEEN'DERT Prams. 

